EPIC 2015

EPIC is on the front lines of the major privacy and civil liberties debates. In 2015, EPIC has important work to do on algorithmic transparency, student privacy, and government surveillace, among many other issues. Please donate to EPIC today to help us continue this important work.

EPIC 2015 Champions of Freedom Awards Dinner

Senator Markey Speaks at EPIC Book Event

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) recently appeared at an EPIC book event to support the release of EPIC's new anthology, "Privacy in the Modern Age: The Search for Solutions" and Bruce Schneier's "Data and Goliath." Senator Markey discussed his efforts to establish new safeguards for student privacy and to limit drone surveillance.

Senate Passes FREEDOM Act, Ends NSA Bulk Collection

The USA Freedom Act, signed into law this week, ends the NSA bulk collection of domestic telephone records and establishes new transparency and accountability rules for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. In 2013, EPIC filed a petition in the Supreme Court, In re EPIC, arguing that the NSA program was unlawful. In 2014, EPIC and a broad coalition urged the President to end the NSA surveillance program.

Privacy in the Modern Age: The Search for Solutions

EPIC's new book, Privacy in the Modern Age: The Search for Solutions is an essential reference for policy makers and researchers, journalists and scholars, and others looking for answers to one of the biggest challenges of our modern day. The premise is clear: there’s a problem - let's find a solution.

Tim Cook Backs Privacy, Crypto, Freedom at EPIC Awards Dinner

Apple CEO Tim Cook gave an impassioned speech at the 2015 EPIC Champions of Freedom Award dinner. Cook said the erosion of privacy represents a threat to the American way of life. Tim Cook is the first business leader to receive the Award from EPIC. (Photo by Jenifer Morris).

In an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, EPIC argued that there are Constitutional limits on government searches of electronic storage devices. EPIC urged affirmance of United States v. Ganias, which held that the Government violated the Fourth Amendment by retaining files seized years earlier. After the government appealed, the court agreed to rehear the case. EPIC argued that data minimization practices should be followed for electronic searches, particularly after the Supreme Court's decision in Riley v. California. EPIC endorsed the approach set out in United States v. Comprehensive Drug Testing, which allows a government agency to undertake appropriate searches without unnecessarily violating privacy interests. In Quon v. City of Ontario, CA (2012), EPIC recommended that the Supreme Court adopt a similar approach.

The California Supreme Court has granted review of a lower court decision that prevented public release of information about "automated license plate readers." The lower court held that the information about the system to gather license plate data on all motorists was an "investigative record." EPIC urged the California Supreme Court to review the matter, stating, "as the government's ability to collect information about individuals has expanded, open record laws have become an important tool for government oversight." Documents obtained by EPIC about the FBI's use of license plate readers showed the agency failed to address the system's privacy implications.